Tavares
- Thread starter Kin
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Guru Tugginmypuddah
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Think I will go for the blue Tavares sweater.
Coco-puffs
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https://twitter.com/scottcwheeler/status/1012441979001753600
Trying my damn hardest to keep my expectation level at zero.
Trying my damn hardest to keep my expectation level at zero.
Props to RedLeaf for being way ahead of this one all the way back in 2014:
RedLeaf said:
LuncheonMeat
New member
CarltonTheBear said:
I think I'm more impressed with you finding that quote. No offense, RedLeaf.
https://twitter.com/BDGallof/status/1012678606894624769
I actually had a similar thought too when Lou was brought on. Garth Snow is the only GM Tavares ever had before. He was his GM for 9 years. I can understand there being a certain level of loyalty that comes along with that kind of long-term relationship. But he has no sense of loyalty to Lou, why would he? Everyone thought that move might have convinced Tavares to stay on with the Islanders but it could very well have actually had the opposite effect.
I actually had a similar thought too when Lou was brought on. Garth Snow is the only GM Tavares ever had before. He was his GM for 9 years. I can understand there being a certain level of loyalty that comes along with that kind of long-term relationship. But he has no sense of loyalty to Lou, why would he? Everyone thought that move might have convinced Tavares to stay on with the Islanders but it could very well have actually had the opposite effect.
Coco-puffs
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Nik the Trik said:
Yeah, I don't think its sudden at all. San Jose was always talked about as a potential destination. And the more one takes a look at it, the more I think it ends up being his landing spot.
- Good chance to win now
- Older team, so not as good a chance to win later BUT Doug Wilson rebuilds on the fly better than just about anyone.
- Anonymity. While most people believe JT wouldn't be phased by the media fishbowl in TO, that doesn't mean he's eager to deal with it
- Anonymity Pt 2 (Fiance). While most believe that since JT's fiance is from the GTA, she may want to be close to family there are other signs that point me in the opposite direction. She's quite private (no social media presence that we know of) and SHE may actually prefer the anonymity.
- Lifestyle. I think its been covered pretty well that the bay area is quite attractive in terms of lifestyle. Heck, Leaf homerism aside, if I was in his shoes I'd probably want to move to the Bay area given the chance and I LOVE living in TO.
Coco-puffs said:
Arthur Staples reported that Toronto and LA appeared to be his two personal preferences initially too, so once LA had to bow out San Jose obviously became a pretty logical replacement for them.
But I mean, he's coming to Toronto.
LuncheonMeat said:I think I'm more impressed with you finding that quote. No offense, RedLeaf.
I was gonna make a post about how this is Wes Clark's 2nd time around with the Leafs and did a quick search for when he was first hired to get some info, but then I got lazy and just posted that instead.
bustaheims
Active member
Bullfrog said:
Agreed. I think we can largely strike that one off. It's a little different during the season, but the team is also on the road half that time, and players are pretty busy with practices, meetings, and games while they're in town, so it feels like a non-factor.
I still suspect he stays with the Islanders - mostly because elite free agents stay with their teams. Other than Niedermayer, I honestly can't think of another that left their original team as a free agent before the twilight of their careers.
Kin
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Bullfrog said:
There's a pretty big difference, I think, between wanting to be anonymous in your hometown when you're a reasonably well known hockey player for a fairly underpublicized New York team and wanting some anonymity when you're the most famous guy on the most famous team in town.
They did a quick hit about this on TSN yesterday with Lebrun and Mike Johnson and honestly the way they talked about the realities of playing in Toronto made it sound pretty bad.
Bullfrog
Active member
I can understand that. I once had a dinner with a well-known Canadian celebrity and his family and it was really annoying. The worst was the constant flow of people saying:
- "you know, I don't normally come up to people, but....."
- "I'm so sorry for interrupting your dinner, but...."
- "Could I just get a quick picture....it'll only take a second...."
Once or twice would be ok; but after the 20th time.....well I came to understand the prison that fame can be. The fans being polite didn't help much, because it was the total amount of interruption that was annoying, not any single request.
- "you know, I don't normally come up to people, but....."
- "I'm so sorry for interrupting your dinner, but...."
- "Could I just get a quick picture....it'll only take a second...."
Once or twice would be ok; but after the 20th time.....well I came to understand the prison that fame can be. The fans being polite didn't help much, because it was the total amount of interruption that was annoying, not any single request.
Coco-puffs
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Nik the Trik said:
I think the realities of playing in Toronto being pretty bad goes hand in hand with how well the team is doing. For the past 50 years, there have only been small stretches were the team has been good, so for the most part, it should sound bad to play here.
Kin
New member
Bullfrog said:
The way they phrased it, and I may be half remembering it, was something along the lines of "If he comes here and succeeds, there's a lot of upside. If he comes here and they don't succeed, there's more downside as well. Tavares has to decide if he's ready for that risk and if his family is as well."
It was the latter part of it that sort of hit home for me. Even if Tavares was prepared for the media/fan attention and potentially his hot dog consumption becoming municipal fodder, would you want to do that to your family? I don't think it's much of an exaggeration either. I'm sure most of us remember some of the uglier things that happened with Phaneuf that blew back onto his now wife when he was here. If he doesn't play well, it may very well manifest itself in unpleasant experiences for his family. That's a hell of a thing to potentially ask of them.